By Christian Magdaleno, Nov. 5, 2024
Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer fell to Stanislaus State on the road in its first loss of the season, and the men’s team drew both matchups against the Warriors and Chico State.
After the loss to the unranked Warriors, the No.2-ranked Broncos dropped two spots in the United Soccer Coaches rankings, coming in at No. 4 in the latest poll and improving to 12-1-2 overall.
“Having the win streak end gives us a chip on our shoulder to continue moving forward,” said forward Vanessa Cruz.
Cruz led the team with six attempted shots and two shots on goal against the Warriors.
Forward Kiarra D’Arcangelo followed closely behind with five attempted shots and three shots on goal.
The Broncos stayed aggressive on offense, with a combined total of 24 shots throughout the night to the Warriors’ four.
The Warriors gained an advantage behind a penalty kick in the 16th minute, enough to hold off the Broncos and break their 14 game winning streak, the longest in program history.
Head Coach Jay Mason remained optimistic about the team’s resilience and eagerness to win, attributing the success to their motto “we before me.”
“A program that finds success is predominantly player driven,” said Mason. “If you were to describe our team, it would be hardworking, driven, intense, aggressive and little bit goofy.”
Prior to the matchup against Stanislaus State, the Broncos dominated Chico State to earn their seventh shutout of the season.
After a scoreless first half, the Broncos applied pressure to the Wildcats at the net, attempting 10 shots in the second half.
Cruz recorded the first goal of the game behind a powerful shot in the top-right corner of the net during the second half.
With her 10th goal of the season, Cruz entered a three-way tie for 12th place for the program’s most goals scored in a season.
“After that goal, everything fell together,” Cruz said. “We really needed that extra push to stay on top of the game.”
Forward Alexis Macias secured the win with a goal at the 83 minute mark, her fifth goal of the season to help secure the Broncos 2-0 victory over the Wildcats.
The No. 22-ranked men’s soccer team left with two consecutive draws against Stanislaus State and Chico State.
The Broncos stalemated against the rival Chico State Wildcats in a physical matchup, resulting in a red card against the Broncos.
Midfielder Woody Angell registered two attempted shots 12 minutes into the first half.
Building off that momentum, striker Mads Frederiksen earned his second goal of the season with a shot into the upper-left corner of the net.
The Wildcats evened the score in the last few seconds of the first half.
The Broncos hit the ground running in the second half with two attempted shots on the goal but were unable to find the net.
Goalkeeper Luke Garciduenas blocked a shot by the Wildcats at the 59 minute mark, and shortly after, Frederiksen was given a red card that extracted him from the game and resulted in a one-game suspension.
This was the first red card the Broncos have received since Oct. 27, 2022 by former captain Cesar Ruvalcaba against Cal State LA.
The Wildcats ended the drought, raising the score 2-1, but it was short-lived as midfielder Aleksandar Somov scored a goal with an assist by forward Sam Lena to even the game 2-2.
Garciduenas showcased the Broncos defensive ability with six saves, a career-high.
Head Coach Matt O’Sullivan remains optimistic despite the team’s dealing with injuries and the absence of key players.
“This a resilient team,” said O’Sullivan. “There is a fire in us, and we don’t want to lose.”
The Broncos traveled to face the Stanislaus State Warriors for their senior night and earned their fourth consecutive tie.
Although the Broncos settled with an even score, O’Sullivan said they missed opportunities to score winning goals on the Warriors.
“It was a tired performance, and it’s hard on the road, especially in that second game since we had already traveled so much,” said O’Sullivan.
The game kicked off with one attempted shot by both teams within 93 seconds.
Shortly after, forward Jakob Singh attempted his second shot, but it was unsuccessful as the Warriors defense came up with the stop.
Singh attempted five shots while filling in for Frederiksen, who was serving his one-game suspension.
The first goal of the game was scored off a penalty kick by midfielder Max Laguna.
The Warriors responded with their own goal to tie the game 1-1.
Although the Broncos outshot the Warriors 22 to 13, they were unable to raise the score and now stand at 3-0-5 in CCAA play.
Both men and women’s soccer welcome Cal Poly Humboldt and Sonoma State to Kellogg Stadium for the last weekend of conference play, the final opportunity for either team to improve before the CCAA tournament Nov. 10.
Photos courtesy of Will MacNeil